Silver and Rubies
by Cheye13
Summary: A series of one-shots and drabbles from the movie, based on the movie, inspired by the movie... etc.
1. His Face

**Disclaimer:** Characters, settings, and even situations aren't mine.

She knew. She knew the moment he walked into the shop.

His hair was different, the way he carried himself was new. His face was gaunt, his skin pale, and his eyes spoke of untold suffering. But his face… She'd know that face anywhere.

But she had to make sure. After all, it was a horrible thing to get your hopes up and watch them die…

She made jokes about the quality of her pies, to lighten his obvious sorrows. Eventually, she invited him to the back to wash down the horrible taste. Seeing as he was the only customer she's had in a while, it seemed fitting. But that wasn't really why she invited him back.

"You've a room over the shop, have you? Times is so hard, why don't you rent it out?"

Her heart leapt at his words. That voice. That beautiful, unmistakable voice… And he had asked the question she'd been longing for. With a little baiting about the room above, she launched into the tale – the unfortunately true tale – of Lucy Barker.

Just as she saw in his face he could no longer take it, he quieted her with an outburst. After his scream, she knew it to be true. "…Benjamin Barker," she whispered.

He asked about his wife and daughter.

"She poisoned herself. Arsenic, from the apothecary around the corner. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen to me," she trailed off, her tongue burning with the words left unsaid. "And he's got your daughter," she added, to soothe the pain in her mouth.

By the way he spoke the judge's name, she knew it wasn't quite over. She could tell he would seek revenge. She knew his love for his wife and daughter had not passed in the fifteen years he'd been away, not yet.

She knew she would stand by him along his vengeful journey. Just as she knew it was him who had walked into her desolate shop.

For you never forget the face of the one you love.

Wordlessly, she led him upstairs, to the precious tools he made his trade with – the tools she kept because they reminded her of him.

**A/N:** I'm very interested in Mrs. Lovett, though she's my least favorite character. What goes on in her mind? How does she justify herself? What has she been through? Look for more of her later. ;)


	2. The Portrait

**Disclaimer:** Characters, settings, and even situations aren't mine.

His heart leapt at the sight of the judge. A bounding hopefulness entered his body, but his mind reminded him of his anger, his heartbreak, his need for vengeance. His dismissed Mrs. Lovett – this moment was his and his alone.

The bell on the door rang as she left and he noticed the blood on his sleeve. Frantically, he found a jacket and hastily put it on. Just as he was straightening the collar, the bell on the door rang again. He spun at the sound of his name and smiled to see his visitor – like a rat in a trap.

"At your service. An honor to receive your patronage, My Lord," he responded.

"You know me, sir?"

Sweeney did not let his face show his falter as he recovered words to save himself. "Who in this wide world does not know the great Judge Turpin?"

At the satisfied look on the judge's face, he felt he was providing a bit too much flattery.

Judge Turpin inspected the parlor and commented on the barber's acclaimed skill. Sweeney – slightly anxious – tried to humbly brush off the praise and get the judge to sit. He removed the other man's coat and was surprised to hear the judge speak of love. But the magic words – "But first sir, I think, a shave." – returned his vengeful joy.

"The closest I ever gave," he promised.

His heart beat faster than it ever had as he draped the smock and towel around his customer and mixed the lather. He made excuses for his involuntary whistling and turned conversation to a topic he knew his guest would like: women.

He opened a razor and looked at himself in the silver. Something inside him whispered, wait… The judge caught his attention by speaking of wedding, and since his curiosity could contain itself no longer, he asked, "An who may it be said is your intended sir?"

"My ward."

The words froze him to the bone, then a fire all too familiar returned.

"…Pretty little rosebud…"

"Pretty as her mother?" Sweeney asked under his breath.

"What? What was that?"

"Nothing sir, nothing. May we proceed?" He moved behind the judge. Oh! How it felt to finally have his blade at his enemy's neck…

Wait…

He thought of Lucy as he shaved the judge, and tried not to think about whose image Turpin's mind conjured. Remembering Lucy made the vengeful fire burn hotter, and finally the whisper inside him said, now…

He moved back behind Turpin and pressed his blade to the now shaven throat, his heart pounding in glorious anticipation, his fingers itching to spill the blood of the man who had ruined his life –

"Mr. Todd! I've seen Johanna and she said she'd leave with me tonight…"

Curse that boy!

Sweeney could feel the judge slipping from his desperate fingers, his blade pulling back, disappointed…

"As for you, barber – " Sweeney looked up dazedly as the judge suddenly addressed him. "It's all too clear what company you keep. Service them well and hold their custom, for you'll have none of mine!" With that, the judge left, and Sweeney was alone with his hopelessness and the boy. The boy. That stupid, ignorant, foolish, selfish –

"Out!" he shouted.

As Antony ran down the stairs, Sweeney wondered why he hadn't just slit his throat. But then he remembered Johanna. His daughter. His beautiful daughter… that he'd never get a chance to know.

Mrs. Lovett intruded on his solitary despair.

I had him," he whispered.

She responded, but all his mind had room for was, "I had him."

**A/N:** One of my favorite scenes. I'd like to look at it in different ways... I don't know. Just expect more of these... X_X


	3. I Had Him

**Disclaimer:** Characters, settings, and even situations aren't mine.

…_I never had dreams. Only nightmares…"_

Johanna wandered around the strange room aimlessly.

Did she love Antony? No, she supposed not. He was a kind boy, eager to please her, to rescue her from this world they were in. He was her ticket to freedom. He would take her far, far away from this place. He was a sailor. Perhaps her disguise would buy her way onto a ship with him and they would work to pay for their passage to a new land…

Perhaps she didn't love Antony, but she would much prefer him to the judge.

Judge Turpin had made advances that bordered inappropriate. Who knew how much further he would take his desperate attempts to have her? No, she was certainly not sad about leaving him or this horrible place. But she would not let herself be glad. Not until they were far away would she even begin to feel glad…

Her wandering had brought her to a small picture frame. As she gazed into the faces of the three figures – a man, a woman, and an infant – she began to think they looked familiar –

Suddenly, she heard loud steps and singing coming from outside.

As she looked around, panicked, for some place to hide, Antony's words echoed in her mind. "You're safe now."

"I am safe no where, Antony," she scolded him mentally as she quickly climbed into a trunk. No sooner had she shut the lid, she heard the door open and the singing grew louder.

She heard more footsteps and an angry male voice. Suddenly, the singing stopped and was replaced by the sound of gears turning. More footsteps were heard and another male voice as well. She heard her name mentioned and the second voice grew louder.

Her heart began to pound; it was the judge.

The exchanged words she couldn't hear for a while, the suddenly, the first man's voice shouted, "Benjamin Barker!" She heard sounds she couldn't identify, then the creaking of gears again.

It was quiet for a time. Then she heard whispering.

She guessed the men were turned away from her, so she decided to risk a peek.

What she hadn't counted on were the hinges of the old trunk squeaking. She caught a glimpse of a man kneeling before the chair she had seen earlier, just before ducking back inside the trunk. Not two seconds later, the top was lifted again.

"Come for a shave, have you lad?"

The man reached into the trunk and pulled her out by the collar. She shook her head quickly as she took in his appearance. His face and shirt were bloodstained, his skin extremely pale, and his eyes bloodshot and murderous. He held her in one hand and a razor in the other. She watched in horror as a drop of blood fell from the drenched blade.

He tossed her in the chair as he spoke words that might have seemed innocent if not spoken through clenched teeth – or if there were a single hair on her chin.

As she trembled in the chair and the frightening face – and blade – came closer, a scream shattered the night. He looked away shortly, then held the crimson and silver blade in front of her as he looked her in the eye.

"Forget my face," he told her.

There was nothing more Johanna wanted at that moment, but she didn't know if she ever could. After the slightest of pauses, he was gone.

She sat there shaking until Antony came for her. When he appeared at the open doorway, she ran to him and threw her arms around his neck, though it was improper. He was her safe haven, he was taking her away from all of this. Maybe she had to love him. Maybe she wouldn't be able to help it.

She could see worry in his eyes as he led her down the staircase by her hand.

She was surprised, however, by the image that kept showing itself in her mind; the portrait of the man, woman, and child. It was as clear as if she were holding it in her hand. There was something familiar about the image, though she couldn't put her finger on it. She had a feeling that the image would be no easier to forget than the bloodstained razor or the gaunt face with the haunted eyes…

**A/N:** I've always wanted to play with Johanna's feelings for Antony. I mean, who said she had to love him? We know he loves her, he's made that clear. But how does she really feel for him?


End file.
